Up-regulation of Endothelin-1 and Endothelin type A receptor genes expression in the heart of broiler chickens versus layer chickens

To compare Endothelin (ET) production and genes expression of ET-1 and ET_A receptor (ET_AR) between broiler and layer chickens during rearing, semi-quantitative RT-PCR and enzyme immunometric assay were performed in the heart ventricles and serum. There were gradual elevations of ET-1 and ET_AR mRNAs in the left ventricle of broiler and layer chicken groups that were mainly significant (P < 0.05) at 28, 35 and 42 days of age with compared to previous days whereas were not significant between two groups.These gradual elevations of ET-1 and ET_AR mRNAs were also observed in the right ventricle that were significant (P < 0.05) at 28, 35 and 42 days of age in broilers and 42 days of age in layers with compared to previous days. Increasing of these mRNAs in the right ventricle of broiler chickens were significantly (P < 0.05) more than layer chickens at 28, 35 and 42 days. Serum ET in broilers was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than layer chickens at 28 and 42 days of age. It is concluded that circulating ET and cardiac ET-1, ET_AR genes expression is higher in broiler chickens than in layer chickens particularly after 21 days of age. It is probably that these breed differences make broiler chickens to be more susceptible to Endothelin related-cardiomyopathies such as congestive heart failure and ascites.     

Prevalence of thin-walled <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sarcocystis cruzi</Emphasis> and thick-walled <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sarcocystis hirsuta</Emphasis> or <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sarcocystis hominis</Emphasis> from cattle in Iran

Bovine sarcocystosis is caused by Sarcocystis cruzi and is known to cause considerable morbidity and mortality in cattle. This species is distributed worldwide in cattle and is the most prevalent of the Sarcocystis species infecting cattle. There is high infection rate of sarcocyst in cattle in Iran, but to our knowledge, there is no study about identification of Sarcocystis species. This work aimed to survey prevalence of S. cruzi cyst in slaughtered cattle of Isfahan, Iran. In this study, esophageal and diaphragmatic muscles of 100 cattle were collected from Fesaran abattoir of Isfahan and examined for the presence of Sarcocystis spp. cysts macroscopically and microscopically. No macroscopic sarcocysts were found in any of the samples. In light microscopy, 89 out of 100 cattle (89%) had thin-walled cysts of S. cruzi, while 21 out of them (21%) had thick-walled sarcocysts. In addition to light microscopy, ultrastructural features of the thin-walled cyst confirmed the presence of S. cruzi.     

Comparative Analysis of CD4+ and CD8+ T Cells in Tumor Tissues,Lymph Nodes and the Peripheral Blood from Patients with Breast Cancer

Background: CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are the main types of lymphocytes in cell-mediated immunity and play a central role in the induction of efficient immune responses against tumors. The frequencies of T cell subtypes in the peripheral blood and tumor tissues, and draining lymph nodes (dLN) can be considered as useful markers for evaluation of the immune system in cancers. Methods: In this study, the frequencies of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in blood, tumor tissues, and dLN samples of breast cancer patients were compared with each other and with similar tissues from normal individuals. Immunophenotyping was carried out by flow cytometry and the expression levels of CXCL10, granzyme B, and mammaglobin were evaluated by real-time PCR. Results: In the peripheral blood, there were no differences in the T cell subsets between the patients and the normal individuals. The frequency of CD8+ T cells was significantly higher in tumor tissue than normal breast tissues while granzyme B expression was similar. Based on mammaglobin expression levels, dLN have been classified into micro- and macro-metastatic dLN. We found significantly lower frequency of CD4+ in macro-metastatic dLN than micro-metastatic dLN. CD8+ frequency was similar in both dLN; however, granzyme B expression was higher in micro-metastatic ones. There was not any significant difference in CXCL10 expression between the two types of dLN. Conclusion: Based on our results, although the tumor does not affect the systemic immunity, tumoral cells affect the local immune system in the tumoral tissues and the metastatic dLN. Key Words: Breast neoplasms, CD4+ T lymphocyte, CD8+ T lymphocytes, CXCL10, Granzymes     

Preparation and characterization of Ceftazidime loaded electrospun silk fibroin/gelatin mat for wound dressing

Fabrication of Ceftazidime (CTZ) loaded silk fibroin/gelatin (SF/GT) nanofibers (NFs) without the loss of structure and bioactivity of CTZ was demonstrated by electrospinning method. The structure, morphology and mechanical properties of the electrospun SF/GT nanofibrous mats were characterized using FT-IR, SEM and DSC. The drug release profile of different electrospun fibers was analyzed using spectrophotometric method, and also diffusion method was applied to assess the antibacterial effect of NFs. Cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay. The results show that the average diameter of drug loaded NFs at the optimum polymer to drug feeding ratio (10:1) was 276.55±35.8 nm, while increasing the feeding ratio to 1:1 increases the average diameter to 825.02±70.3 nm. FT-IR of drug loaded NFs was revealed that CTZ was successfully encapsulated into NFs while viability study approved cytocompatibility of SF/GT NFs. CTZ was released from NFs during 6 h, and formation of inhibition zone in diffusion test demonstrated the antibacterial effect of drug loaded NFs. Altogether, the CTZ loaded SF/GT NFs can improve the drug effectiveness particularly in the prevention of post-surgical adhesions and infections for wound dressing.     

Numerical simulating the tensile behavior of 1×1 rib knitted fabrics using a novel geometrical model

A geometrical model to predict the tensile properties of conventionally knitted 1×1 rib fabric was created to be used for technical applications. Tensile stress-strain curve was numerically simulated in course and wale directions, using FEM method. The accuracy of the used geometrical model has been estimated comparing the simulated tensile stress-strain curve of the model to the measured one. The results showed that the stress-strain curve obtained from simulating method is very close to the experimental one.     

Variation for tolerance to high concentration of ferrous iron (Fe<Superscript>2+</Superscript>) in Australian hexaploid wheat

High concentration of reduced iron (Fe²⁺) in waterlogged acid soils is a constraint for growing wheat in high rainfall (waterlogged-prone) areas of Western Australia. Growing crop genotypes tolerant to high Fe²⁺ concentrations may be desirable in such situations, but there is no knowledge about the extent of variability in Fe²⁺ tolerance in the wheat germplasm. A bioassay for tolerance to high concentrations of iron in wheat was developed and optimised using Siete Cerros (Fe-tolerant) and BH1146 (Fe-intolerant) as control genotypes and a range of FeSO₄ concentrations (36, 313, 625, 1250, 1875, 2500 and 3125 μM Fe²⁺) in nutrient solution in a controlled-temperature environment. Increasing external concentration of iron decreased both shoot and root dry weight, increased shoot iron concentration and intensified the development of toxicity symptoms to a greater degree in intolerant BH1146 as compared to tolerant Siete Cerros. Increased iron supply negatively affected uptake of Ca (r = −0.41) and Mg (r = −0.40). The tolerant genotype Siete Cerros showed an improved avoidance/exclusion of high external concentration of Fe²⁺ compared with intolerant BH1146. The genotypic discrimination based on relative root dry weight and the development of toxicity symptoms was most pronounced at 625 μM Fe²⁺. This concentration was chosen for screening of 20 bread wheat and one durum genotype chosen from a preliminary screening of 94 Australian wheat genotypes. A relatively narrow but significant variation (22–38%) in terms of relative root dry weight under Fe²⁺ toxicity was observed among Australian advanced breeding lines and varieties. The presence of genotypic variation for Fe²⁺ tolerance across and within the Australian breeding programs could be exploited in a deliberate selection process to enhance Fe²⁺ tolerance in wheat. Durum wheat (Arrivato) and several Australian wheat varieties and advanced lines in this study were as tolerant to Fe²⁺ toxicity as Siete Cerros, a variety representing common parentage of iron-tolerant genotypes.     

A study of acute and chronic anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of thiamine in mice

Background: Thiamine (VitB1) is a vitamin with various important physiological functions and postulated therapeutic effects. Its use as an analgesic in neuropathic pain has been undergoing in clinical settings. However, there has been little experimental investigation on this effect. In this study, anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of thiamine were investigated in mice. Methods: Three doses of thiamine (50, 100 and 125 mg/kg) were used by intraperitoneal injection in this study. Acute and chronic anti-nociceptive effects were examined using hot plate test alone and after sciatic nerve ligation, respectively. Imipramine (40 mg/kg) was used as positive control. Anti-inflammatory effects of thiamine on acute and chronic inflammation were assessed using xylene-induced edema in ears and granuloma caused by compressed cotton implantation, respectively. Sodium diclofenac (15 mg/kg) was used as positive control. Open field test was performed to differentiate the mice responses in the acute anti-nociceptive tests. Results: All three doses of thiamine showed significant analgesic effects in non-ligated mice and also in neuropathic pain in ligated animals. Increasing the dose of thiamine correlated with a more pronounced and sustained effect. Acute anti-inflammatory investigation showed that thiamine injected 30 or 60 minutes before xylene application reduced the weight of edematic ears. However, the effect of thiamine was less pronounced than diclofenac. Furthermore, when injected once daily for 7 days, all doses of thiamine significantly reduced the weight of the cotton disks, showing suppression of granuloma formation. Conclusion: Taken together, it has been shown that thiamine possesses remarkable analgesic activities and also has significant anti-inflammatory effects, confirming its clinical use in controlling pain and less in inflammation.     

Subcritical soil hydrophobicity in the presence of native and exotic arbuscular mycorrhizal species at different soil salinity levels

Soil salinity and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) influence the soil hydrophobicity. An experiment was performed to determine the effects of soil salinity and AMF species on soil water repellency (SWR) under wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop. Six AMF treatments, including four exotic species (Rhizophagus irregularis, Funneliformis mosseae and Claroideoglomus claroideum, a mix of three species), one mix native AMF species treatment and an AMF-free soil in combination with four salinity levels (1, 5, 10, and 15 dS m^?1) were used. The soil repellency index (RI) increased with salinity increment ranging from 2.4 to 10.5. The mix of three exotic and native AMF treatments enhanced the RI significantly compared to AMF-free soil in all salinity levels with one exception for native treatment at 1 dS m^?1. Among individual AMF species, the C. claroideum treatment at 10 dS m^?1 increased the RI by 67% compared to AMF-free soil. The native AMF treatment was more efficient in root colonization, glomalin production and SWR development at 10 and 15 dS m^?1, compared to exotic species. In addition to the net positive effect of salinity on SWR, the AMF influences on the RI were greatly dependent on salinity levels.     

Land leveling and changes in soil properties in paddy fields of Guilan province,Iran

Paddy and Water Environment - The aim of this study was to evaluate the impacts of land leveling on some of soil properties. Land leveling as an effective strategy for paddy land management is one...     

Construction of a genetic linkage map with SSR,AFLP and morphological markers to locate QTLs controlling pathotype-specific powdery mildew resistance in diploid roses

Disease resistance is a sought-after trait in plant breeding programmes. One strategy to make resistance more durable is to increase the number of resistance genes, thereby increasing the number of pathotypes withstood. One of the most important diseases on roses is powdery mildew (PM) (Podosphaera pannosa). Recent studies show that pathotypes of PM and different types of resistances in roses exist. The results of this study aim to contribute to PM resistance in roses by the development of pathotype-specific markers on a genetic map. A diploid rose population (90 genotypes) derived from a cross between Rosa wichurana and Rosa ‘Yesterday’ was used to construct a genetic linkage map encompassing 20 AFLP primer combinations, 43 SSR, and 2 morphological markers. By applying the F1 pseudo test cross population strategy, two parental linkage maps were constructed (parent ‘Yesterday’ 536 cM; parent R. wichurana 526 cM). Both parental maps consisted of seven linkage groups with an average length of 70 cM (Kosambi) corresponding to the seven haploid rose chromosomes. These new maps were used to identify QTLs controlling disease resistance. The offspring population was screened for resistance to two PM pathotypes, R–E and R–P. QTLs for controlling pathotype-specific disease resistance were mapped by applying Kruskal–Wallis rank-sum tests and simple interval mapping. With two pathotypes analysed, nine QTL loci were detected on linkage groups 2, 3, 5 and 6, explaining 15–73% of the phenotypic variance for pathotype-specific disease response. The genetic maps developed here will be useful for future rose breeding, pathotype-specific resistance research and development of a consensus map for roses.